Most days many of us come home and struggle to find something to make for our next meal. If you add cancer treatments to the mix, what seems to be a hard task already suddenly becomes daunting. We don’t always make the best food choices when we are hungry either since the quickest and easiest foods tend to not be the healthiest. But what if we could better prepare by being surrounded by quick and easy foods that are better for us? I like to refer to this as our “food environment.” Almost seems to good to be true right?

Well let me try to make it a little easier for you! I’m going to share with you some of my favorite quick and easy to prepare store purchases. I keep most of these foods in my house as staples and it really does make a huge difference in my daily eating habits. You may not have all of these foods available to you, but you can start with what is available at your local grocery store. Here’s what I like to stock up on…

Plain Greek yogurt – I add cinnamon or coconut flakes with a fresh fruit and a dash of vanilla or coconut extract for sweetness

Cottage cheese – Try adding pineapple or other favorite fruit

Nuts or seeds – in prepackaged bags or in the bulk section at the store

Cliff bars – great for on the go snacks

Kind bars – great for on the go snacks

Hummus with whole grain pita bread or carrots and celery sticks

Bag of apples (they keep for a while in your fridge)

Frozen vegetables or steamers – We use these in stir fry’s a lot at home

Frozen Fish – this is quick and easy to heat up in the oven

Sliced veggies – pair with cheese, hummus, or peanut butter

String cheese – great snack option

Hard boiled eggs (can buy pre-hardboiled or you can boil them at home)

Quinoa – this cooks quite quickly and is loaded with protein

Frozen edamame – great high protein snack

Amy’s frozen burritos

Tempeh – great in stir fry’s or rice bowls

Grape leaves in a can – usually get from Trader Joes (they are filled with rice)

Ezekiel Sprouted Grain bread (usually found in the freezer section and loaded with fiber)

Peanut or almond butter – top on toast, crackers, or veggies

Whole wheat pasta

Canned beans

Brown rice

Fresh Fruit or frozen fruit

My list often changes depending on season or what store I’m shopping at. Think about some of your favorite local options and create a list so next time you are at the store shopping is easier. You list could also change depending on what side effects you may be experiencing with treatment. For example, you might want completely different foods than usual if you have taste changes or mouth sores. Or if you’ve recently made some changes to your diet to promote healthier eating then your tastes can change if you cut out certain foods from your diet. The trick is that it doesn’t have to be complicated or time consuming to create a healthy eating environment in your home! Cheers.

For more updates, you can follow Survivors’ Table onFacebook. Thanks for joining me on this journey! – Danielle